# Windows Server Management Guide
This guide explains how to use the `manage-server.bat` script to manage the Context Engine MCP Server on Windows.
## Overview
The `manage-server.bat` script provides a convenient way to start, stop, restart, and check the status of the Context Engine MCP Server on Windows systems.
## Prerequisites
- **Node.js** installed and available in PATH
- **Built distribution** - Run `npm run build` before starting the server
- **Windows** operating system (Windows 7 or later)
## Commands
### Start the Server
```batch
manage-server.bat start
```
**What it does:**
- Checks if Node.js is installed
- Verifies that `dist/index.js` exists
- Checks if the server is already running
- Starts the server with:
- Workspace: Current directory (`.`)
- Indexing: Enabled (`--index`)
- File watching: Enabled (`--watch`)
- Saves the process ID to `.server.pid`
- Logs output to `.server.log`
**Example output:**
```
[INFO] Starting Context Engine MCP Server...
[INFO] Workspace: D:\GitProjects\context-engine\.
[INFO] Indexing: Enabled
[INFO] File watching: Enabled
[INFO] Log file: D:\GitProjects\context-engine\.server.log
[SUCCESS] Server started with PID: 12345
[INFO] Use 'manage-server.bat status' to check server status
[INFO] Use 'manage-server.bat stop' to stop the server
```
### Stop the Server
```batch
manage-server.bat stop
```
**What it does:**
- Reads the process ID from `.server.pid`
- Checks if the process is running
- Terminates the process gracefully
- Removes the PID file
- Cleans up stale PID files if the process is not running
**Example output:**
```
[INFO] Stopping Context Engine MCP Server...
[SUCCESS] Server stopped (PID: 12345)
```
### Restart the Server
```batch
manage-server.bat restart
```
**What it does:**
- Stops the current server (if running)
- Waits 2 seconds
- Starts a new server instance
**Example output:**
```
[INFO] Restarting Context Engine MCP Server...
[INFO] Stopping Context Engine MCP Server...
[SUCCESS] Server stopped (PID: 12345)
[INFO] Starting Context Engine MCP Server...
[SUCCESS] Server started with PID: 67890
```
### Check Server Status
```batch
manage-server.bat status
```
**What it does:**
- Checks if the PID file exists
- Verifies the process is actually running
- Displays server information
- Shows the last 10 lines of the log file
**Example output (running):**
```
[INFO] Checking Context Engine MCP Server status...
[STATUS] Server is RUNNING
[INFO] Process ID: 12345
[INFO] Workspace: D:\GitProjects\context-engine\.
[INFO] Log file: D:\GitProjects\context-engine\.server.log
[INFO] Recent log entries:
----------------------------------------
[2025-12-16 10:30:15] Server started
[2025-12-16 10:30:16] Indexing workspace...
[2025-12-16 10:30:20] Index complete: 150 files
[2025-12-16 10:30:20] File watcher enabled
----------------------------------------
```
**Example output (not running):**
```
[INFO] Checking Context Engine MCP Server status...
[STATUS] Server is NOT running
[INFO] No PID file found at: D:\GitProjects\context-engine\.server.pid
```
## Files Created
The management script creates the following files:
| File | Purpose | Git Ignored |
|------|---------|-------------|
| `.server.pid` | Stores the process ID of the running server | ✅ Yes (`*.pid`) |
| `.server.log` | Contains server output and error messages | ✅ Yes (`*.log`) |
Both files are automatically excluded from version control via `.gitignore`.
## Error Handling
### Node.js Not Found
```
[ERROR] Node.js not found. Please install Node.js first.
```
**Solution:** Install Node.js from https://nodejs.org/
### Build Files Missing
```
[ERROR] Build files not found at: D:\GitProjects\context-engine\dist\index.js
[INFO] Please run 'npm run build' first
```
**Solution:** Run `npm run build` to compile the TypeScript source code.
### Server Already Running
```
[ERROR] Server is already running with PID: 12345
[INFO] Use 'manage-server.bat stop' to stop it first
```
**Solution:** Stop the existing server with `manage-server.bat stop` or use `manage-server.bat restart`.
### Stale PID File
```
[WARN] Stale PID file found. Cleaning up...
```
**What it means:** The PID file exists but the process is not running (e.g., server crashed or was killed externally).
**Action:** The script automatically cleans up the stale PID file and continues.
## Advanced Usage
### View Server Logs
```batch
type .server.log
```
Or use PowerShell for better formatting:
```powershell
Get-Content .server.log -Tail 20
```
### Monitor Logs in Real-Time
```powershell
Get-Content .server.log -Wait
```
### Manually Kill the Server
If the stop command fails, you can manually kill the process:
```batch
taskkill /PID <process_id> /F
```
Replace `<process_id>` with the PID from `.server.pid` or from `manage-server.bat status`.
## Troubleshooting
### Server Won't Start
1. **Check Node.js installation:**
```batch
node --version
```
2. **Verify build files exist:**
```batch
dir dist\index.js
```
3. **Check for port conflicts:**
- The MCP server uses stdio transport, so port conflicts are unlikely
- Check if another instance is running: `manage-server.bat status`
4. **Review the log file:**
```batch
type .server.log
```
### Server Won't Stop
1. **Check if the process exists:**
```batch
tasklist | findstr node.exe
```
2. **Force kill all Node.js processes (use with caution):**
```batch
taskkill /IM node.exe /F
```
3. **Remove stale PID file:**
```batch
del .server.pid
```
## Integration with Development Workflow
### Typical Development Session
```batch
# 1. Build the project
npm run build
# 2. Start the server
manage-server.bat start
# 3. Make code changes...
# 4. Rebuild and restart
npm run build
manage-server.bat restart
# 5. Check status
manage-server.bat status
# 6. Stop when done
manage-server.bat stop
```
### Automated Build and Restart
Create a `dev.bat` file:
```batch
@echo off
echo Building project...
call npm run build
if errorlevel 1 (
echo Build failed!
exit /b 1
)
echo Restarting server...
call manage-server.bat restart
```
Then use:
```batch
dev.bat
```
## See Also
- [README.md](../README.md) - Main project documentation
- [QUICKSTART.md](../QUICKSTART.md) - Quick start guide
- [CHANGELOG.md](../CHANGELOG.md) - Version history
